


the exposition box

by ohallows



Series: cloud country [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff, Gen, Stardew Valley and Moonlighter had a baby and it’s: this, no one is white in this au and no one is straight but that will come up later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-05-31 06:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19420141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohallows/pseuds/ohallows
Summary: Hamid startled back into wakefulness when the train whistle went off, followed by a droning conductor’s voice announcing that the next stop was Dunnock Town. He glanced out the window that he had been dozing against, making a face at the little bit of makeup and oil that his forehead must have left on the glass. Quickly he glanced around and pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing the small blemish away.The hills and rolling fields fell away behind them as the train steamed ahead, passing through a dense forest and alongside a river. The sun was beginning to set off in the distance, casting long shadows over the train as it slowly chugged along. It looked like your standard English countryside, although it wasn’t raining, and Hamid wondered what could have made his grandfather decide to settle in such a small place as Dunnock Town.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> RQG has been Rough and Sad recently (read: nearly forever) and the characters need good things. this. this is that thing. 
> 
> this au born from: a happy coincidence of A. me starting to watch schitt’s creek (abt a super rich family losing everything and moving to a small town), B. my family stopping at a fruit stand in the middle of nowhere and me going ‘god this would be cute’ and C. a desperate need for soft rqg content fueled by the cowards discord when i sent ‘farmer zolf?’ to the server and we all just went nuts about it (which is funny bc hamid is the main character)

_ Our dearest son, _

_ We hope this letter finds you well. After you abruptly left once informing us of your recent dismissal from Cambridge, we haven’t quite been sure how to move forward. However, we believe we’ve found the perfect solution.  _

_ I’m sure you remember how, upon his retirement, your grandfather left to spend the rest of his days in a small village by the sea, along with your grandmother. He ran a small shop until he passed a few years ago; always upholding the al Tahan family name. In his will, your grandfather left the store to you, Hamid, to continue upholding the long-standing al Tahan reputation in the town. _

_ We didn’t tell you this at the time, since we were hoping that you would finish your schooling at Cambridge and follow in your brother and sister’s footsteps, but based on recent events, we feel as though this may be a more appropriate responsibility for you.  _

_ Enclosed, you will find a single train ticket to Dunnock Town, and directions to your grandfather’s home and shop. The mayor has been informed of your arrival, and will meet you at the train station to ensure you are able to find your way. You leave tomorrow. Please do not miss the train. _

_ We expect you to conduct yourself reasonably and continue your grandfather’s business in the town. Use this opportunity to reflect on your actions and begin to build up your business acumen, and perhaps after a few years we can see about you properly joining the family business in banking.  _

_ Saleh, Saira, Aziza, Ishak and Ismail all send their love, and want you to know that they will come to visit as soon as they are able. _

_ Love always, _

_ Your mother and father  _

_ P.S. Call your mother when you arrive, she’ll want to know you made it there safely. _

_ — _

Hamid startled back into wakefulness when the train whistle went off, followed by a droning conductor’s voice announcing that the next stop was Dunnock Town. He glanced out the window that he had been dozing against, making a face at the little bit of makeup and oil that his forehead must have left on the glass. Quickly he glanced around and pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing the small blemish away. 

The hills and rolling fields fell away behind them as the train steamed ahead, passing through a dense forest and alongside a river. The sun was beginning to set off in the distance, casting long shadows over the train as it slowly chugged along. It looked like your standard English countryside, although it wasn’t raining, and Hamid wondered what could have made his grandfather decide to settle in such a small place as Dunnock Town. 

He’d find out soon enough, he supposed, and checked his watch. The train was roughly five minutes out from the station, and Hamid was looking forward to getting some real rest. 

Hamid had been traveling all day, nearly. The train wasn’t as fast as flying, but there wasn’t an airport anywhere near Dunnock Town, apparently, so train it had been. 

The backpack he’d brought onto the train was small at his side, but that didn’t mean he was traveling light. There were four other suitcases in the luggage car with some of his favorite outfits, and at least five purses with some accessories that he simply hadn’t had the heart to get rid of. 

The train whistle blew again and Hamid clutched onto his bag straps as he gritted his teeth and squared his shoulders.

His parents had made the offer clear; this was Hamid’s responsibility for at  _ minimum _

the next few years, and if he didn’t complete it to the best of his ability he could kiss goodbye any sort of aid from his parents. Even though his grandfather had left Hamid the house, it was obvious that he was only allowed to be here thanks to his father. 

Plus, he didn’t want to disappoint his parents again. The al Tahan name had been lucky enough to be of high enough status to keep the… unfortunate situation out of the news with a generous donation to the university and some clever spinning by one of their public relations people, but Hamid knew that the grace of his father only extended so far. This was his second, and last, chance. 

The train slowly ground to a halt and Hamid rose, making his way down the mostly empty aisle and stepping out onto the platform. He needn’t have worried about not being able to find the mayor in the crowd - only two other passengers had even been on the train by this point, and there was only one other person on the platform, holding a sign with his name on. 

Thanking the attendant for helping him with his bags, Hamid strode over to the man and reached out a hand for him to shake. 

“Hello, you must be Mr. Gussett - I’m Hamid Saleh Haroun al Tahan. How are you? I hope you weren’t waiting for a long time.”

The other man stared at Hamid’s hand with what seemed like suspicion before slowly reaching out and giving it a shake. “M’not Mr. Gussett. That’s my dad. You can call me Brock. He wanted me to come pick you up, said you were related to old man Apophis.”

Hamid nodded, all too used to the familiar tightening of his chest when people spoke about his grandfather. They hadn’t been close, but he’d always been kind and given Hamid sweets when he visited their home. Which just added to the mystery of why he’d left Hamid this house instead of Aziza, who he’d always been closest with, but Hamid wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, regardless of the conditions attached to it.

“Nice to meet you, Brock. Thank you for helping, I do appreciate it.”

Brock shrugged. “Not a problem. This all you, then?” He gestured to the bags on the cart next to Hamid. “Bit much.”

Hamid bristled slightly, and felt the curve of his smile turn a bit more cold. “Well, I’m moving here permanently, so I needed to bring more than just the essentials.” He grabbed onto the cart and double checked that all of his luggage was there, before turning back to face Brock. “How will we be getting to the house?” 

Brock reached over and took the cart after Hamid let go, satisfied that nothing had been left on the train. “Car’s over here, we’ll load it up and head over. The house isn’t too far, maybe a five minute drive.” He eyed Hamid’s luggage. “Shouldn’t need two trips, but it’ll be a squeeze. Come on, then.” The cart squeaked as he pushed it away, waving to the station attendant. “We’ll bring it back in a mo’, Figgis.” 

The attendant, a short and squat man, nodded stiffly, fixing Hamid with a deeply unimpressed expression as they headed out of the station. Brock led the way to a small black car and popped open the boot with his key fob. 

He started loading in Hamid’s luggage, stacking them on top of each other and eyeing the largest bag dubiously. The boot filled up quickly, and Hamid started loading up the back seat. It was covered in candy bar wrappers and empty drink cups; Hamid only just stopped himself from scrunching up his nose, and mentally apologized to his bags before he gingerly placed them on the seat. Brock opened the other door and shoved in the rest. Hamid winced as one of his favorite purses got crushed by another piece of luggage, but didn’t say anything. 

Brock shut the door and rolled the cart over to Hamid. “Mind running this back to the station? I’ll get the car started and then we can head out.”

Hamid nodded and grabbed the cart. It was a quick stroll back to the station, and an awkward hand-off with…. Giffis? Figgis? Whatever his name was, who still looked  _ deeply _ unimpressed and vaguely annoyed with Hamid, for some reason, and then he was hurrying back to the car, eager to get on his way. 

Brock was waiting in the front seat, texting, when Hamid got back, and slipped his phone into the cupholder as Hamid sat down in the passenger seat. “All set?”

Hamid nodded, buckling the seatbelt. “The uh - the attendant looked… angry?”

The car screeched out of the parking lot and Hamid grabbed onto the door, knuckles white. “Oh, Figgis? He’s always sour-looking. Don’t take it personal.”

Hamid nodded, stomach roiling as Brock took a sharp left turn and roared down a dirt road. 

He was right, at least; in less than five minutes, they were turning onto a gravel path with a pale blue mailbox sticking out from the bushes.

“Here we are,” Brock said, shifting the car into park. He reached under the wheel and Hamid heard a little pop as the trunk opened behind them. “Home sweet home.”

Hamid stepped out of the car and gazed up at the house.

The house was more like a small cottage; the brickwork outside was worn, with ivy slowly creeping up the sides and covering the windows. It had a small garden out in front that was overrun with weeds, and the windowsills could definitely do with a paint job. Still, it looked cute - a little less glamorous than Hamid was used to, and smaller than he had been imagining, but he didn’t really have any room to complain. And it was fine, he would be living by himself anyway. It was fine. Cozy. 

He startled slightly as a small Chinese man stepped down from the front porch, waving.

“You must be Hamid! Yes, I can see the family resemblance, you’re the spitting image of your grandfather at your age, and what a mischief-causer he was, I dare say.” The man (who Hamid wanted to assume was Mayor Gussett, but didn’t want to have another misstep like he’d had back at the station with Brock) nearly skipped over to him. “Pleasure to meet you, of course, and that old shop’s been empty since your grandfather passed, awful business, so sorry for your loss, but we’re happy to see someone new bringing life to the old place!”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mr.…” Hamid trailed off, stepping forward to meet him.

“Oh, where are my manners, of course, my name is Bi Ming Gussett, Mayor Gussett to you, at your service, lad,” Mayor Gussett said, sticking a hand out to Hamid; he reached out as well and gave the mayor a firm handshake. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mayor Gussett.”

“You as well, son, you as well. Now,” Mayor Gussett said, “let’s get you moved in.” 

He and Brock moved back toward the car, popping open the boot and back doors to grab Hamid’s luggage, and Hamid hurried over to help. 

“Apophis used to always talk about you, even before he moved here. Would send me letters about all of his grandchildren.” Mayor Gusset reached into the car and started pulling out the luggage. Hamid hastily started to help, stacking his bags on top of a suitcase and making sure they were balanced before pushing them out of the way and reaching in for more.

“I thought my grandfather moved here out of nowhere?” Hamid asked, adjusting his grip on one of the bags. 

Mayor Gussett shook his head. “Your grandfather and I were good friends in university, but he went on to head the al Tahan family bank and I came back to this little town to take care of my parents.” He lifted another bag out of the car and handed it to Brock, muttering a quiet, “there’s a good lad.” 

“You and my grandfather went to university together? At Cambridge?” Hamid asked, setting off toward the house. 

Mayor Gussett chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised, now!” As Hamid began to stutter out an explanation, he waved his hands. “You should see your face - I’m only kidding.

“We were close friends, really. Lost touch a bit when I moved out here, but I was never off the Christmas card list. And then he moved here when he retired.”

Brock had started to stack the luggage in front of the house; as Mayor Gussett got closer he started fiddling with a key ring, shuffling through all of the keys and muttering quietly to himself. 

“Oh,” he said distracted. “We haven’t gotten a chance to get inside and clean, this was pretty last minute news for us, so forgive how dusty it is.”

“It’s fine, really! I appreciate you helping me move my things in.” The door creaked open as Mayor Gussett gave a quiet cheer, tucking his key ring back into his coat with a jingle.

“Where d’you want ‘em?” Brock asked while Mayor Gussett started fiddling around the kitchen and brushing dust off some of the counters. 

“Oh, just here is fine!” Hamid said, setting his own luggage down near the kitchen table. He could move it all around tomorrow, and truth be told he was tired enough from the journey that he wouldn’t be getting around to it tonight regardless of where they stashed it.

Once the last piece of luggage had been brought in, Brock gave Hamid a much more friendly wave than he’d gotten all night, hugged Mayor Gussett with a promise to come round for dinner soon, and headed out. Mayor Gussett turned to Hamid with a wink and motioned for him to follow him over to an old door off the side of the kitchen. “You can give yourself the grand tour of the house later, but let me show you this before I leave you to yourself.”

They stepped through a small doorway into a room that smelled even staler than the cottage, but was much less crowded. There were small, empty tables set up around the room, long tables stained a dark brown. A dust-covered register stood on a table in the corner.

“Here’s the store. Easy access for you, eh?” Mayor Gussett said. Hamid nodded and took a step forward, running a finger through the dust on one of the tables. This was going to take a little more than a deep clean to get it up and running again, he realized, but there was definitely a certain charm around the entire shop.

It would need some TLC, but Hamid could already picture the shop bustling with customers, maybe some new decorations in the corner, an upgrade to the register…

“It’s not much, and I know this wasn’t unilaterally your decision, but your grandfather -“

“It’s perfect,” Hamid said decisively, turning back to look at Mayor Gussett. “Well, not perfect, it… it definitely needs some work, and the spacing could be switched up, but - but it’s wonderful.”

It wasn’t a lie, not really - Mayor Gussett was right, this wasn’t Hamid’s decision and it wouldn’t have been his first choice, but his grandfather left him the store for a reason, and Hamid would make the most of it. Plus, the shop was at least functional, and had a lot of potential. He followed Mayor Gussett back to the main house and shut the door behind him.

“Now, you won’t have to go out and get all of the wares yourself. It’s been on hold since your grandfather passed, of course, but one of our local farmers will bring his crops over to the shop for you to sell. I’m sure you two will get along fabulously,” Mayor Gussett said, beaming. “Zolf can be a little prickly, but once you get to know him he’s a true friend. Him and my daughter, I’ll introduce you to her later, have been friends for as long as I can remember. He’s a good man.”

Mayor Gussett shook Hamid’s hand again, smiling widely. “Welcome to the town. I’m sure you’ll fit right in. If you need anything, my number is taped up on the fridge, and Brock or Sasha will be right over to help you. Tomorrow, I’ll bring Zolf round and you two can hash out any details you’ll need. He’ll have a better idea of how the shop used to run than I would.” He gestured to the house around him. “Make yourself at home. Dunnock Town will love to meet you.”

The door shut behind him as he stepped out and Hamid stood in the middle of his kitchen, staring around at the unfamiliar wood. The cottage was, for lack of a better word,  _ charming _ . It looked homely, more understated than the house Hamid grew up in, or their vacation homes, or even his apartment back in London. And even though no one had been there in years, it felt lived in. The cabinets were painted a dark blue, but the paint was chipping in some places, with the same color on the counters below. 

Hamid could make out photos of himself and his siblings hung up on most of the walls, and he smiled as he stepped closer and saw one of them all as children, jumping on his grandfather as he laughed. 

He brushed some of the dust off of the photo and coughed as it floated through the air. Dusting would have to move up

the to-do list he was already mentally creating in his mind, but it was late enough that he wasn’t going to be starting anything now. 

Tomorrow, he would have to meet Zolf, considering that he would be working closely with the man, and probably a few other people in town just to let them know that the shop would be up and running again. 

Tonight, though, he was going to leave all of his luggage in the kitchen, ignore the disappointed voice of his mother telling him that he should put everything away now, and instead do the bare minimum of putting sheets on his bed before he collapsed into it. 

There were two bedrooms in the cottage, both with similar furniture - Hamid picked the room facing west (with the queen-sized bed) and stared down at the pile of linens in his hands. In a perfect world, he’d be able to just snap his fingers and the sheets would fit themselves into the bed; instead, he spent about five minutes getting the sheets on (and another ten getting his makeup off) before he laid down on top of the comforter.

He pulled out his phone and frowned at the ‘No Service’ indicator in the top corner. At least there was a landline in the house, he’d spotted one earlier, so he’d be able to call his parents tomorrow morning and tell them that he’d made it in. 

There was a whole list of things that Hamid would have to get done, most of which probably required either Mayor Gussett’s help, or (he made a face at the crack in the window in the corner) someone better at construction and building than Hamid was - which was to say, anyone minimally competent. 

He didn’t know how long it would take. Hopefully there was a café with internet somewhere in the town that Hamid could use in the interim. Or some other way to contact people, so that Hamid actually would be able to make his grandfather’s shop successful again. It was what his parents wanted, after all. 

Hamid was sure of one thing, though. 

This was going to be a  _ long _ few years. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hamid meets (some of) the Gang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> introductions are so boring but i have to do it for The Fic. also i just [jared keeso voice] “zolf i wish you weren’t so fuckin awkward bud” (now there’s a niche fuckin reference. good stuff!)
> 
> this is def sloppier but that’s because i’m lazy and wanted to get the intros out of the way so i can start working on the oneshots within the verse!

The next day dawned quicker than Hamid thought it would; he woke up confused to see dark curtains over his windows instead of the gold-feather patterned ones that he was used to. It took a minute before he remembered that he was in his grandfather’s house. For a moment, he laid there staring at the ceiling, running over his parent’s letter in his mind. If this was really his second and last chance, he might as well make the most of it; the alternative was unthinkable.

He swung his legs over the bed (which, at least, was incredibly comfortable) and headed for the bathroom, intent on a shower and fixing himself up before Mayor Gussett showed up. After all, it was his first day in the town, and if he was going to be meeting new people he needed to put his best face forward.

It took him a minute to find a shower - there wasn’t one attached to the room that he’d slept in, but there was one in the other bedroom, and he made a mental note to move his things in there before getting all settled.

One shower later, dressed and with eyeliner masterfully applied, Hamid stepped out into the kitchen, eyeing his luggage. He started to roll the bigger suitcases into the bedroom, deciding that he could pick through them later on. Just another thing to add to his mental to-do list, and he couldn’t forget to ask the mayor about hooking up the landline here. 

His stomach growled and Hamid looked balefully at the definitely empty fridge. He’d have to stop by a café or something after meeting with Zolf and Mayor Gussett, and make a trip over to the store to get some actual food in the house. 

A sharp rapping on the doorframe knocked Hamid out of his thoughts and he headed over, pulling the front door open to a beaming Mayor Gussett.

“Good morning, Hamid! I hope you slept well?” Mayor Gussett said, stepping forward to clap Hamid on the shoulder. “I’ve brought Zolf round to meet you, figured you two could hash out the details and get the ball rolling on the shop!”

Zolf was… shorter than Hamid had been expecting. Not as short as Hamid himself, maybe only a couple of inches taller, with dark skin and a closely-trimmed beard. His left leg was a prosthetic, with silver on top, and black on the bottom half. Only just peeking out from under the bottom of his shorts was what looked like a painted-on blue pattern that Hamid couldn’t really see, but it wasn’t like he was going to stare at it to try and figure it out.

“Hi. Zolf Smith,” he said, reaching out a hand and giving Hamid’s a firm shake. “Sorry about your grandad. He was a good man.”

The corner of Hamid’s lip quirked up as he smiled slightly. “He was, at that. It’s nice to meet you, Zolf. And come in, please,” Hamid said, holding the door open and ushering them both inside. “I’m afraid I don’t have any food, I only moved in yesterday.”

“Not a problem, not a problem, I assumed as much,” Mayor Gussett said, gesturing to Zolf, who picked up a basket next to his feet full of different kinds of fruit. Hamid’s stomach rumbled just from looking at it and he winced, but Mayor Gussett just laughed, patting him on the back as he stepped through the house. “Put it on the table, Zolf, and then we can talk business.”

“Sure.” Zolf obliged, setting the basket down gently on the table before sinking down into a chair. He pushed the basket over in Hamid’s direction, who gratefully took a couple of nectarines, peaches, and bananas from the basket and started looking through the cabinets for a plate and a knife. It (thankfully) didn’t take too long, and Hamid listened idly to Zolf and Mayor Gussett chatting about some upcoming town festival before heading back to the table and setting the plate down in the center. 

“Anything to drink?” he asked, glancing between the two. 

“Cup of water would be grand, thanks,” Zolf said. Mayor Gussett just shook his head, so Hamid hunted around for two glasses and filled them up to the brim with cold water.

“So, what exactly was the deal that you and my grandfather had?” Hamid asked, grabbing a piece of nectarine and sitting down at the table across from Zolf. He handed over the glass of water, taking a sip from his own.

“Mainly, I’d bring the fruit, vegetables, and other stuff over once a week. It always varies, depends on what crops are doing good and what season it is, but people don’t seem to complain. Winter it gets a bit harder, what with the limited space in the greenhouse, but you’ll get more monster parts then since -“

“I’m sorry,  _ monster parts _ ?” Hamid cut Zolf off, stomach roiling as he clapped a hand over his mouth, feeling a mix of scared and nauseous. 

“Uh…” Zolf exchanged a confused look with Mayor Gussett. “Yeah - see, we have mines here… me and my brother will sometimes go down and grab some monster bits for elixirs and the like? They’re pretty valuable items. Did - did no one mention…”

“That there are  _ monsters _ here? No, no one thought to mention it!” Hamid exclaimed, making a mental note to call his parents the moment he had a phone to explain this little… development. (Speaking of, his mental list was getting a little long, and he should probably actually write it down before he forgot something important).

There was an awkward pause as Zolf’s mouth opened and closed once, twice, before he just sat there quietly with his gaze flicking between Hamid and Mayor Gussett. 

Mayor Gussett cleared his throat. “The monsters don’t leave the mines, and Feryn and Zolf and the rest of the Harlequins do a good job keeping everything safe. Nothing to worry about.” 

Hamid turned to look at him. “Harlequins?”

“It’s - it’s a stupid name, it’s what my brother calls his adventuring guild, just. Don’t worry about the monsters, we take care of them. Promise,” Zolf said.

“... I’ll try not to?” Hamid said, voice a bit too high to be believable. He knew monsters  _ existed _ , of course, but he thought that they were way off in the mountains, staying away from civilization. No one had ever told him that they lived underground, too. 

“Alright, well!” Zolf stood up, looking mildly uncomfortable. “Let’s see how the shop’s doing, yeah? Get a plan in place for the grand re-opening.”

Hamid rose as well, just as eager for the change of subject as Zolf seemed to be. “Right! Let’s - let’s just head on in.” He let Zolf lead the way, trailing behind him and trying not to think about monsters or if his parents actually did know that there were monsters here and just didn’t -

“Oh, Mayor Gussett,” Hamid called, remembering that he still hadn’t called them, “do you think you could hook up the landline for me? Only, I need to call my parents to let them know I’ve arrived safely, and cell service out here seems to be a bit… limited.”

“Of course, of course, you two have a look at the shop, I’ll wait in here and see what I can do,” Mayor Gussett said, throwing Hamid a wink. “Don’t want your parents getting worried, after all.”

Hamid shot him a grateful look and followed Zolf into the store as Mayor Gussett headed over to examine the landline and, hopefully, get it up and connected. 

“So what do you think of it?” Zolf asked, leaning back against the counter and giving the room a quick once-over. 

“Well, the space is lovely,” Hamid said. “I think we can move some things around, though?”

“Well, we’re definitely going to need to do some work on it. Dusting, for sure. Maybe some work on the countertops. They don’t look as smooth as they used to,” Zolf said, crouching down to peer closely at one of the tables. He ran a finger along one of the tops and frowned before blowing the dust off and into the air. “Structurally, it’s sound, so less work there. And we won’t know if there are any leaks until it starts raining, anyway.”

Hamid nodded. “How long do you think it will take to put together?”

Zolf shrugged. “Probably a week, maybe a bit longer, depends on if we run into any major issues while sprucing it up.” 

He straightened up and started heading back to the kitchen. “I’ll come by tomorrow to fix up some of it. If you have an idea, we can move things around, it’s all pretty easy.”

“That sounds perfect,” Hamid said, following him into the kitchen and shutting the door behind him. Mayor Gussett had disappeared somewhere in the house, although Hamid could hear his muffled voice talking through the wall, so he hadn’t left. 

“Zolf, if you don’t mind me asking… what  _ did _ you do when my grandfather passed? I mean, you didn’t just stop selling things, right?” Hamid asked, genuinely curious. 

Zolf shrugged. “Helped my brother up at the guild. Sold things myself, when I had the energy to come to town. I’d rather let someone else do the talking, though, so the deal with your granddad worked pretty well.”

“So your farm is outside of town?” Hamid asked.

“Not far. It’s just past the bus stop. You can come by and visit if you’d like. Inspect the goods, and all that.”

“I’d like that,” Hamid said. “Perhaps after the work on the store tomorrow is done, we can stop by.”

Zolf nodded.

“Oh, and uh - here’s my cell number, if you need anything. Probably should have a way to contact me,” Zolf said, handing a slip of paper over to Hamid. 

“Promise it’s not a fake and you’re not trying to be rid of me already?” Hamid teased, pulling out his phone to key the number in. 

Zolf laughed, low and clear. “No, not yet. Haven’t run me off screaming.” His watch beeped and Zolf glanced down to it, eyebrows furrowed. 

“Okay, I know how this sounds, and I promise I’m not actually running away, but I’ve got to head off. There are a few more errands I have to run today, and then my brother and I have some jobs to do. Mind saying goodbye to the mayor for me?” Zolf asked, already halfway out the door and checking his watch. Hamid nodded and Zolf flashed him a smile. “Appreciate it, mate. I’ll be by first thing tomorrow.”

He headed off down the driveway to an old and beat-up pickup truck that had stacks upon stacks of crates in the bed, slipping into the driver’s seat before pulling out of Hamid’s driveway and disappearing behind a copse of trees.

“Oh, Hamid, perfect timing. Landline is all set up and ready to go, called my friend at the local company and got the connection set up,” Mayor Gussett said, stepping into the foyer as he glanced around Hamid. “Zolf head out?” 

Hamid nodded. “He’ll be coming round tomorrow to start working on the shop. Make it a bit more presentable.”

“Perfect, perfect,” Mayor Gussett said, clapping his hands together. “Well! The call to your parents will have to wait a spell, I’ve got another person I want to introduce you to before she disappears for the day.”

—

According to Mayor Gussett, he was just as good of a driver as Brock, so he and Hamid were taking the long stroll into town to meet up with his adopted daughter, Sasha. He’d been gushing about her all morning, talking about how she was going to take over his old antiques shop and how she was even better than he was. Hamid couldn’t help but smile at the faint misty glint that Mayor Gussett got in his eye when talking about her. 

They stopped eventually in front of what looked like an old workshop, a brick building with a lopsided sign hanging over the entryway. Mayor Gussett pulled open the door, tiny bell ringing as he gestured for Hamid to go in. 

There was a woman probably around Hamid’s age standing there engrossed at a work bench; she hadn’t looked up when the shop bell had rung.

“Alright, Sasha?” Mayor Gussett called, waving a hand to get her attention. She looked up from the stone she had been examining and her expression softened as she waved back to him. Her face was very thin and angular, but her brown eyes were even more sharp. She looked very similar to Brock, Hamid realized, but with jet black closely cropped hair to his lighter brown shoulder-length hair. “I’ve brought Hamid along to meet you, he just moved in yesterday and needs to get to know some people in the town.”

Sasha put the stone down and pulled off the rubber gloves, stepping forward to give Mayor Gussett a hug. He patted her on the back and she pulled away, turning to look at Hamid.

“So you’re Apophis’ kid?” Sasha said. She and Brock had a similar way of eyeing people up - almost like they were trying to figure out how much of a threat you were and how well they measured up. Hamid fidgeted a little bit as her eyes passed over him, evaluating, and then she broke out in a smile and offered him her hand. “Nice to meet you.” 

Hamid smiled back. “I’m his grandson, actually! And the pleasure’s all mine. I’m Hamid Saleh Haroun al Tahan.”

“Bit of a mouthful, that,” Sasha muttered, eyes going wide. “Oh, gods, I didn’t mean it that way - I just meant - well, it’s a long name, but I don’t mind long names or nothin’ - sorry,” she trailed off, cheeks reddening. 

Hamid laughed. “I’m not offended, really,” he said, smiling. 

The bell above the door rang, and Hamid turned toward it to see a tall and muscular black woman step inside, looking a little distracted as she shuffled through the papers in her arms.

“Sasha, Grizzop wants to know if you’re able to meet him, Veeseek, and I for dinner - oh, hello!” She fixed him with a blinding smile and Hamid couldn’t help but return it. “You must be Hamid! It’s so lovely to meet you. My name is Azu.”

Oh, Hamid and Azu were going to get along  _ so well _ . 

—

Mayor Gussett brought Hamid around town to meet a few more people before the day was out - Grizzop, the town doctor who was apparently going out with Sasha and Azu for dinner, along with his friend Veeseek, who seemed just as hyperactive; Oscar Wilde, who ran the town’s library and newspaper and who Hamid kind of wanted to punch; and Ed, who lived down on the beach and was the human form of a golden retriever. 

Mayor Gussett let him go with a wink and a reminder to call him if anything went wrong before heading off to check up on some of the rest of the town. 

Hamid ran a few more errands that afternoon, grabbing some food at the local grocery store, trying to find the best spot in the town for an internet connection, and last but not least, calling his parents. They’d sounded relieved to hear from him, but his father had once again talked about how he was expecting Hamid to make something of the shop, so he’d left the call a little bit more anxious than before. 

Which reminded him - Hamid pulled out his phone and mentally cheered when he had more than two bars. He pulled up Zolf’s contact information and shot off a quick text. 

_ Hello! It’s Hamid. I just wanted to ask when you’ll be stopping over tomorrow? _

The responding text came as he was getting ready for bed. 

_ figured i’d stop by around 9 if that’s not too early _

_ That will be fine, thank you! I’ll see you tomorrow, then. _

_ yeah bright and early we can get started _

He smiled and plugged his phone into the charger next to the bed. They’d have to get the shop open and running soon; tomorrow they’d start it in earnest, and maybe Hamid could spend some time with Azu and Sasha too. Maybe the three or so years he spent here wouldn’t be so long after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> yes this is the title and no i don’t take criticism


End file.
